The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-14
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
He Insists on Drawing More than the
Insane Hospitals Actual Expenses.
And Files Protest Because the State officers
Will Not Violate the Law by Giving Him
Money That He Is Not Entitled To.


Money That He Is Not Entitled To.
Treasurer Gapen. of the board Of Insane
Hospital trustees, thinks he and his colleagues
cannot manage that institution, free from debt
unless, in the absence of an appropriation, he is
permitted to draw every month one-twelfth of
the last appropriation made by the General AS
sembly. No matter If the monthly expenses
several thousand dollars less than the one
twelfth, the trustees must have that amount,
because he says, the law commands it. But
the Governor. Treasurer and Secretary of State
tell him that the law does not command any
such thing 1t imposes upon them the duty,
when the Legislature has failed to make an ap-
preparation for the BENEVOLENT institutions. to
allow funds for expenses not exceeding in any
one month one-twelfth of the last appropriation.
To subject the trustees in this respect more rig
idly to the action of the State officers named.
Section 2760 provides that "said allowances
shall be made monthly, upon the certificate of
the president of the proper board Of trustees of
said institutions respectively. showing in detail
the necessity for the amount demanded. and
that it has been approved by such board, which
certificate shall be countersigned by the super
intendent Of the particular institution for which
the expense was incurred"
1t is this law as we'll as the subsequent Sec
ton, Gapen wants violated. He virtually tells
the State officers that he is willing to file the
vouchers and statement of the expenses actually
incurred during preceding month"; but he does
not wish to give in detail his reason or account
for it in any way, except that it is assumed
necessity for the institution, why the difference
between the actual expenditures and the
twelfth limit should be paid to him. His posi-
ton shown in regard to the November
penses is that while they are So 900 20 less than
one-twelfth of the entire appropriation he
wants to draw that much more in order to reach
the limit which would be $23, 916 &C, one-twelfth
of $287,000 appropriated by the General Assem-
bly, of 1885, OF this amount 10000 was for
maintenance $12, 900 for clothing and $15 900 for
repairs In effect this would give him over
s.. 900. not dollar of which by his vouchers
would be due for services, supplies anything
else in connection with the institution. The
trustees would have command Of that much
extra money and in the course of months il
would accumulate to a considerable sum. But.
says Gapen. the accum ulation, together with
the one twelfth due for that particular month,
might be exhausted by the necessary ex+
penditures for the institution during that
month. He has been told by the State
officers that he shall have all the money
the needs of the institution require. If in any
one month the expenses of the institution
greater than the one-twelfth they be paid
out of the funds remaining to its credit in the
Treasury.
''The law said Treasurer Lemcke, yester
day. lis not clear this point but the Gov
ernor, Secretary Griffin. and myself giving
the institution the benefit of the doubt, The
question of crippling the hospital does not enter
into the controversy at all With Us it is sim
ply question whether we shall let go ali con-
troll of the money and permit the trustees to
draw against it they see fit. We are follow
ing the law strictly, and it is our intention to
let the hospital have the full $287 900 for main
senance. clothing and repairs the amount of
ing the law if we should allow
in their own keeping by paying to their treas
urer every month S23 9l6 &c. If their expenses
are only $21. 694. 46 for any one month as they
were in November, the difference remains to
their credit. but they cannot draw against the
appropriation unless the expenditures during the
ensuing month should exceed the one-twelfth
limit We might, under strict construction of
the law, hold the trustees to making no expenses
for any one month greater than one-tweifth the
appropriation, but we have waived that, and
they can keep credit in the treasury of the diff
ference between the amount expended aud1that
to which our monthly allowance for them is
limited" III
Gapen and the trustees want to handleothis
credit themselves but if the Legislature had
made an appropriation they would have been
subjected by law to the methods in get
ting their money for. as they have done in the
past they cannot draw dollar without q
voucher therefor. The only difference between
what they have been doing in drawing against
an appropriation and what they compelled
do now is that the Auditor could then Issue
his warrants for the amount the vouchers called.
for without being restricted to specific sum
for a monthly expenditure But he could not
go beyond the amount of the appropriation in
the course of the year
Yesterday Gapan filed his protest against the j
action of the State officers with the Governor in
which he says: Under the act of May IL, 1869,
empowered, In the absence of an APP
hyf aOici fl,a atrtor
ance of the benevolent institutions to make pro-
vision for such maintenance. Under this law
such provision made by you shall not exceed in
any one month a sum equal to one-twelfth OF
the yearly appropriation made from the various
funds in this behalf by the last Legislature max
ing such appropriations. One-twelfth of the
amount q the -last legislative appropriation
of the various funds is as follows: Main
tenance, s21, 666.66 clothing. $1,000; repairs
and 81, $50; total, 1923. GIG Go AS the treasurer
of the board for the Hospital of the Insane de-
mand of you that you direct the Auditor of
State of Indiana to draw warrant on the
Treasurer of said State for said total of $685.
GIG &c payable to me as such treasurer, said
amount to be applied by me for the support and
maintenance of said Insane Hospital a contem-
November, 1887 If you compel me accept
warrant for less amount than the named
shall accept the same under protest. and shall
reserve my right as such treasurer TO any bal
ance that may remain between said sum of
$23 GIG 66 and the sum you pei nee to accept
The trustees of the Deaf and Dumb and Blind
asylums satisfied with the ruling of the
State officers. They are not demanding the one
twelfth limit unless the expenses reach that
amount. It is probable that some periods
during this year Gapen, as treasurer of the In
sane Hospital trustees. would have s12. 600
SIS 900 hands, if his wishes in this matter
were granted. He would then be responsible
only under $4,000 bond, which was fixed by
the Cove rnor when he was appointed a trustee
That is the only one on file in the Secretary of
States Office. Joseph I. Flack, whom the Govern
or wanted as Gapens successor required to
give bond for 5000. while Carson. appointed
to succeed Harrison, gave one for Sc, 900, the
amount for which Harrison's bondsmen are
liable.